Electric switch



l April JH. c. HALL Er AL ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed May 5, 1934 fre lNvENTons AHARRY CHALL- 'HORACE M. Woon- ATT P. mp

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 Hurry C. Bau

FFICE 1.999.019 a ELECTRIC SWITCH Crystal Lake.

Wood, Chicag Ill.,

ring Company, 'Application May 3, 1934, Serial No.

5 Claims.

contact be maintained at all times.

Furthennore, cheapness are acter.

cuits. Furthermore, sw may have two or more element in the cost of too1ingparticul out the contact essential simplicity,

arly the membe viously, a switch having a construction enough so that without making -permit of an eco types of switches ment.

An object of this i of this type whose over wide limits various changes may b rs and other parts.

compactness and in a switch of this charpositions. An important such switches lies in the cost of the dies to punch Obflexible e made any change in the dies would nomical manufacture of without any substantial in the tooling requirements.

Referring to diagrammatic vi invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation the drawing, Figure various from the same tooling equipnvention is to devise a switch characteristics may be varied change lisa ew of a switch embodying this taken on line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section on The switch, in general,

ary member I,

on member I in circular fo of contacts 2, 3,

are preferably secured to base rivets 6. Each contact has an u tion 1, provided with a suitable line 3-3 of Fig of the switch ure 2.

comprises a stationof insulating material such as l and the like.

I by m in for soldering wires thereto.

Certain contacts such as 2 and 4 have a bent over substantially parallel to that of lbe noted that c for e rmation are a plurality These contacts eans of pstanding poraperture 8 therexample,

portion l0 provided with an active contact surface II above and in a plane base I. ontact portion II has i It will ts sides Chicago,

asaignors 723,724 y (Cl. zoo-s) the convex portion of the curve facing outwardly. has a spring portion l5 toward the center region.

Centrally disposed of base i in a suitable aperture is a bushing 2i! having a suitably threaded This place and may be maintained in position by a Washer 26. This washer may be rigidly maintained on the 2 to 4 inclusive. slots 35 are formed by cutanother, as desired, nections in any manner desired;

It will be noted that by virtue of the cooperating curvature of tongue I1 and slot 35 that the rotor will be maintained in any one of a plurality of stable positions. In this way any one Cil of a number of definite switching positions may be established. In ordei to provide stops be' tween which the rotor may operate.

member 25 is preferably provided with a plurality of apertures 40. Into any one or more of such apertures pins 4| may be disposed. These pins depend from member 25 downwardly toward base I and are adapted to coopera a fixed stop l2. This stop metal member having a washer portion Il and a locking portion 44. is adapted to fit into a corresponding slot in base I and anchors stop l2 against rotation. In order to maintain the rotor tightly in position a cotter pin 50 may be disposed through shaft 22 and bear against bushing 2|.

In operation, rotor 25 may be turned between the limits set by the location of pins 4|, operating in conjunction with stop 42.

By disposing the two types of fixed contacts, that is contacts 2 or 3, in desired position, in conjunction with adjusting the angular extent of each of movable contact members 30, a large number of different switching actions may be obtained. y

In addition, depending contact member 31 from movable contact 30 may be chosen from a larger number of positions or may be entirely omitted if desired.

Obviously, in the manufacture of contact member 30 the die for punching out this member preferably has portions removable at will for forming slots 35. Hence, if any to be retained, the die may be adjusted accordingly. It is clear, therefore, that by means of this construction the original equipment such as the dies for forming the fixed and movable contacts and the various insulating pieces need not be changed in any substantial manner for changing the characteristics of the switch.

What we claim is:

l. An electric switch comprising a stationary and rotary member, a series of contacts carried by each of said members, one of said series having a larger number of the other series, each contact of the second series having an extended contact area and being adapted to cooperate with a plurality of the contacts of the first series, one of the contacts of said first series being in contact at all times with the extended contact of said second series, said extended contact having a serrated active surface, each serration defining an index position for said rotatable member and at least one member integral with said contact, depending therefrom and bent to form a serration for cooperating with the contacts of said first series.

2. An electric switch comprising a stationary member having a series of fixed contacts circularly arranged thereon, a rotatable member car- -rying a series of contacts and adapted to cooperate with said fixed contacts, said rotatable contacts each being formed as a member having an extended contact surface having an angular extent equal to at least two of said stationary contacts, each rotatable contact having e. serth tact portion one of'said stationary consaid movable contact havwith said serrated edge, at least tacts cooperating with tact in one o tact portion integral with said one movable contact and bent to form a, serration, said being adapted to cooperate with certain of said fixed contacts.

3. An electric switch comprising a stationary member having a series of fixed spring contacts mounted thereon, a rotatable member carrying atleast one movable contact for cooperating with said stationary contacts, said movable contact having its outer edge provided with a series o regularly spaced slots, one of said fixed contacts having a spring tongue adapted to press against the edge of said movable contact at all times and to fit into each slot for determining a position of rest, said movable contact member having a portion thereof bent to form one of said slots, 'said portion functioning as a movable contact tongue for cooperation with certain fixed contacts.

4. An electric switch comprising a stationary member having a series of fixed spring contacts circularly disposed therein, each of said spring contacts having a contacting tongue, a rotor mounted on said stationary member and carrying at least one movable contact member, said movable contact member having an active outer edge, said outer edge having a series of slots formed therein, one of said stationary contacts having a tongue adapted to press against said movable contact at the outer edge thereof and having a curved surface for cooperation with said slots to define a plurality of stable rotor positions, said movable contact having a contact in one of such bent away from the plane of said movable contact and adapted to cooperate with fixed contacts.

5. An electric switch comprising a stationary member having a plurality of contacts mounted thereon and disposed in circular formation, certain of said contacts having upstanding active portions and other contacts having active portions bent over to said stationary member, a rotor carried by said stationary member, said rotor having a plurality of movable contact memangular extent contacts and having an outer edge provided with slots corresponding in number and position to the stationary contacts, the upstanding portions of certain said stationary contacts being adapted to press against the edge of said movable contact at all times and define a plurality of stable rotor positions when said upstanding portion of said stationary contact springs into a slot and a tongue integral with one of said movable contact members and bent away to form a slot, said tongue cooperating with the stationary contacts having the parallel contact portions.

HARRY C. HALL. HORACE M. WOOD. 

